The present invention is directed to toy water guns having removable pre-pressurizable water cartridges and the pre-pressurizable cartridges themselves and water charging systems for them. More particularly, the present invention relates to a toy water gun having a pre-pressurizable water cartridge which can be charged using a pump located on the water gun or an auxiliary adapter connected to an external pressurized water source for quickly charging the pre-pressurizable water cartridge either installed in the water gun or separately.
Water guns having an onboard water reservoir which can be pressurized with air are known. Such guns typically utilize a pump located on the water gun which can be used to pump air into the water reservoir in order to pressurize the water therein such that when the trigger is pulled, a stream of water is ejected from the water gun that lasts as long as the trigger is engaged or until the pressure of the water equals ambient pressure. One such water gun is disclosed in prior U.S. Pat. No. 5,074,437, assigned to the assignee of the present invention. It is also known to provide such a water gun which can be rapidly charged without the need for pumping if an external pressurized water source, such as a municipal water supply, is available. Such a water gun is disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/227,061, filed Jan. 5, 1999, which is assigned to the assignee of the present invention and is incorporated herein by eference as if fully set forth. Such water guns have proven to be extremely popular and successful in the market.
It would be desirable to provide a water gun that can be quickly recharged and or refilled in order to eliminate the need for the user to return to a water source every time the water gun requires refilling. This would provide for enhanced enjoyment and ease of use. It would also be desirable to maintain the ability to rapidly charge the water gun from a source of pressurized water, when available for younger users who may have more difficulty using the manual pump. Additionally, it would desirable to maintain the ability to pressurize the water gun when an external source of pressurized water is not available.
It would also be desirable to provide a removable, pre-pressurizable water cartridge for a toy water gun which can be quickly recharged and or refilled in order to eliminate the need for the user to return to a water source every time the water gun requires refilling. This would provide for enhanced enjoyment and ease of use. It would also be desirable to be able to remove a xe2x80x9cspentxe2x80x9d cartridge from the water gun and rapidly insert a pre-pressurized replacement cartridge without the need to refill the spent cartridge in order to continue using the water gun.
One aspect of the present invention relates to a toy gun for discharging a fluid under pressure, the toy gun comprising:
a housing;
a trigger movably connected to the housing;
a pre-pressurizable fluid storage cartridge removably connected to the housing, the fluid storage cartridge being pressurizable with a fluid prior to connecting the fluid storage cartridge to the housing;
a release valve fluidly connected to the fluid storage cartridge and connected to the trigger to permit a discharge of fluid from the toy gun;
a nozzle in fluid communication with the release valve; and
a path of fluid communication connected between the fluid storage cartridge and the release valve;
wherein operation of the trigger discharges pressurized fluid from the fluid storage cartridge through the path of fluid communication and through the nozzle.
Another aspect of the present invention relates to a toy gun system adapted to discharge a stream of liquid under pressure, comprising:
a toy gun and a recharging adapter, the toy gun including:
a housing;
a nozzle assembly at a discharge end of the housing;
a pump connected to the housing;
a pre-pressurizable fluid storage cartridge removably connected to the housing;
a path of fluid communication connected between the fluid storage cartridge and the nozzle; and
the recharging adapter including:
a receptacle adapted to receive the nozzle assembly;
a valve body slidably disposed in the receptacle;
a fluid channel located in the valve body; and
a connector adapted for connection to an external source of pressurized liquid,
wherein insertion of the nozzle assembly of the toy gun into the receptacle of the recharging adapter displaces the valve body to an open position, and allows fluid from an external source of pressurized fluid to travel through the valve body, the nozzle assembly and the path of fluid communication and into the fluid storage cartridge, pressurizing fluid in the storage cartridge
and wherein insertion of the charge valve assembly of the cartridge, which has been removed from the toy gun housing, into the receptacle of the recharge adapter allows fluid from the external source of pressurized fluid to travel through the charge valve assembly and into the fluid storage cartridge, pressurizing fluid in the storage cartridge.
Still another aspect of the present invention relates to a method of operating a toy gun system comprising the steps of:
(a) providing a toy gun having a housing, a pre-pressurizable fluid storage cartridge removably connected to the housing and having a charge valve assembly, a nozzle, a pump, and a path of fluid communication between the cartridge, the nozzle, and the pump;
(b) pressurizing air within the fluid storage cartridge by at least one of:
(i) pumping air via the pump to the fluid storage cartridge;
(ii) inserting the nozzle in a receptacle of a recharging adapter and allowing pressurized fluid to flow from the recharging adapter through the nozzle and into the fluid storage cartridge; and
(iii) inserting the charge valve assembly of the fluid storage cartridge which has been removed from the housing into the receptacle of the recharging adapter and causing the charge valve assembly to open to allow pressurized fluid to flow from the recharging adapter into the fluid storage cartridge, removing the fluid storage cartridge from the recharging adapter and inserting the fluid storage cartridge into the gun;
(c) discharging the cartridge by displacing the release valve via a trigger connected to the release valve to eject a stream of fluid from the toy gun; and
(d) recharging the toy gun in accordance with step (b).
Yet another aspect of the present invention relates to a fluid cartridge comprising:
a cartridge bottle having an opening, the cartridge bottle adapted to receive and store pressurized fluid; and
a first valve connected to the cartridge bottle and operable to seal the opening and releasably maintain a pressurized condition within the cartridge bottle, the first valve adapted to allow fluid flow into and out of the cartridge bottle;
the fluid cartridge being adapted for connection with a fluid discharge device, whereupon actuation of the fluid discharge device discharges fluid from the fluid cartridge.
Still another aspect of the present invention relates to a method of filling a fluid cartridge comprising the steps of:
(a) providing a fluid cartridge having a cartridge bottle and a manifold releasably connected to the cartridge bottle, the manifold including a first valve; and
(b) filling and pressurizing the fluid cartridge by at least one of:
(i) inserting the first valve into a recharging adapter, allowing pressurized fluid to flow from the recharging adapter into the fluid cartridge, and removing the fluid cartridge from the recharging adapter in one instance;
(ii) inserting the cartridge into a toy water gun having a nozzle assembly and inserting the nozzle assembly into a receptacle of a recharging adapter and allowing pressurized fluid to flow from the recharging adapter through the nozzle assembly and into the fluid cartridge in another instance; and
(iii) removing the manifold from the cartridge bottle, adding fluid into the cartridge bottle, and reconnecting the manifold to the cartridge bottle, and pumping air into the cartridge through the manifold in a third instance.
Yet another aspect of the present invention is, in combination,
a fluid discharge device and a fluid discharge cartridge, the fluid discharge cartridge including:
a cartridge bottle having an opening, the cartridge bottle adapted to receive and store pressurized fluid; and
a first valve connected to the cartridge bottle and operable to seal the opening and releasably maintain a pressurized condition within the cartridge bottle, the first valve adapted to allow fluid flow into and out of the cartridge bottle;
the fluid cartridge being insertable into the fluid discharge device, whereupon actuation of the fluid discharge device discharges fluid from the fluid cartridge.
Still another aspect of the present invention relates to a quick charge device comprising:
a pressurized water chamber;
a receptacle connected to the chamber adapted to receive a nozzle assembly of a toy gun;
an attachment for connection to an external source of pressurized liquid in fluid communication with the chamber;
a valve body slidably disposed in the receptacle, wherein the valve body in the receptacle is adapted to be displaced by the nozzle assembly of the toy gun to an open position allowing liquid from the external source of pressurized liquid to travel into the nozzle assembly of the toy gun; and
a release valve in fluid communication with the chamber; the release valve being operable between a closed position wherein pressurized fluid is retained within the quick charge device and an open position wherein the pressurized fluid is released from the quick charge device.
Yet another aspect of the present invention relates to method of filling a water gun utilizing a quick charge device having a first valve with a quick fill receptacle and a second valve, the method comprising:
(a) connecting the quick charge device to a source of pressurized fluid; and
(b) filling the water gun by discharging the pressurized fluid through the quick charge device by:
(i) in one instance inserting a charge nozzle on a toy water gun into the quick fill receptacle of the first valve of the quick charge device; and
(ii) in a second instance opening the second valve and allowing the pressurized fluid to discharge from the second valve into the water gun.